MEADVILLE, Pa. - Sophomore Evan Zabriski posted career-highs of 24 points and 14 rebounds to help lead the Gators to a 73-64 victory over SUNY-Canton in the championship game of the season-opening Greg Richards '08 Memorial Tournament.

In a game that featured eight ties and four lead changes, Allegheny (2-0) used a 19-9 run over the game's final six minutes to pull away from the Kangaroos (1-1) and win its home tournament for the third consecutive season.

Zabriski, who was named the tournament's MVP, was one of three players in double-figures on the scoresheet for the Gators, as Chris Milon added 14 points and Gabe Seidman 11.   Despite shooting a pedestrian 38 percent from the field (25-for-64), the Gators turned in a strong showing at the charity stripe, connecting on 19 of 25 attempts.  The Gator defense also turned in 11 steals, led by three from Zabriski, while forcing a total of 15 Kangaroo turnovers.

The teams traded the lead in the opening eight minutes of play, until SUNY-Canton put together a 6-0 run near the 8-minute mark to go in front 13-8.  Milon scored five points in a 90-second span to tie the game at 15 with just over 10 minutes left in the half, but the Roos would answer back, as a pair of three-pointers from Scott Bartenstein keyed a 9-2 run that put the vistors ahead 29-22 with 4:56 remaining.

The Gators then quickly countered to take the momentum into the intermission. A three from Zabriski  with 2:42 left cut the score to 29-26, before two more buckets from Milon and a trey by Schweitzer would highlight an 11-2 run that gave Allegheny a 33-31 halftime advantage.

After the Roos tied the game at 34 in the opening minute of the second stanza, the Gators came right back with a long 16-3 run, capped off with five points from Zabriski in an 80-second span, to open up their largest lead of the night, 50-37, with 12 minutes left to play. 

The visitors answered right back, scoring on five straight possessions and holding the Gators without a field goal over a four-minute span, to pull to within one, 52-51, with 7:41 remaining.  

An offensive put back by Zabriski at the seven-minute mark put the Gators in front 53-51, and it was a lead that the hosts would not relinquish.  Schwietzer scored a pair of buckets in a 40-second span to up the lead to 58-53, before Zabriski laid in another offensive rebound with 4:40 left to make the score 60-53.  SUNY-Canton pulled to within four on a trio of occasions over the final three minutes, but the Gators went 6-for-7 from the foul line over the closing minute to seal the victory.  

In addition to the Gator trio to score in double-figures, Schweitzer scored nine points and Josh Valentic eight.  Milon narrowly missed the double-double for the Gators, as he added nine rebounds, while Seidman grabbed seven rebounds and tallied a pair of steals.

For SUNY-Canton, Khalil Bratton posted a 13-point, 11-rebound double-double to lead a trio of double-digit scorers, with Tyler Ellison and All-Tournament Team selection Sam Annorh each scoring 11.
  
The Gators will return to action on Wed. Nov. 19, when they travel to Huntingdon, Pa. to take on non-conference foe Juniata at 7 p.m. It marks the first of two straight road games, as Allegheny will close out the week with a Saturday matinee at local rival Thiel.